Ronaldo’s 24-hour change of tone: three apologies and a message to Messi

Cristiano Ronaldo experienced an unusual 24-hour period in which he apologised to Portugal supporters, his international team-mates and the Portuguese public before sending a farewell message to Lionel Messi.

The Al Nassr captain’s statements came during a significant period for both his own career and that of his long-time rival. Messi played his final match for Argentina before retiring from international football in the early hours of Wednesday, helping the world champions beat Benin 3-0.

Messi scored one of Argentina’s goals from the penalty spot as the “Tango” team secured victory.

Several hours before that match, Ronaldo published a statement on his official Instagram account explaining the dispute that had taken place between him and Portugal manager Jorge Jesus.

The statement followed Ronaldo’s departure from Portugal’s camp in Denmark last week. He left after a disagreement with Jesus, who had refused to select him for the team’s UEFA Nations League group-stage match against Norway.

However, the most notable aspect of Ronaldo’s statement was the number of apologies it contained. The 40-year-old apologised to three different groups over his actions during the dispute with his manager.

Ronaldo said sorry to the Portugal supporters who attended the match against Norway after he left the pitch without going over to acknowledge them. He accepted that he should not have done so, regardless of how angry he had been after Jesus failed to keep his promise to play him.

He also apologised to his Portugal team-mates and to the Portuguese people for leaving the “Brazil of Europe” training camp in Denmark without permission. Ronaldo went further by asking the Portuguese Football Federation to impose the appropriate punishment on him.

The series of apologies was an unusual development in the career of a player who has rarely been seen taking such a step during his long time in football.

About 24 hours after issuing that statement, Ronaldo offered another notably respectful gesture by addressing Messi following the Argentine’s international farewell. His message recognised what the forward had achieved with his country.

“Leo, you spent many years defending your country and left a legacy that will live forever in history,” Ronaldo wrote on Instagram. “I have the greatest respect for what you achieved with Argentina. I wish you all the best.”

The message was warmly received by football supporters around the world. For many, it reflected the relationship that should exist between two of the greatest players in football history, if not the two greatest of all time.